{"slug":"desperation","title":"Desperation","url":"https://www.ttrpg-games.com/item/desperation","agentUrl":"https://www.ttrpg-games.com/api/games/desperation.json","summary":{"blurb":"Desperation is a rules-lite survival horror RPG containing two complete games: Dead House (blizzard-stranded Kansas town, 1888) and The Isabel (doomed fishing vessel in the Gulf of Alaska). Using the Desperation Engine, players decide who speaks rather than what happens—building a web of relationships then watching them collapse under pressure. Card-driven, GM-less, and playable in 1-2 hours.","atAGlance":"Survival Horror • Card-driven • 1-5 players • Zero prep • Rules-lite • 1-2h sessions","whyItFits":"A strong fit for groups that want history or historical texture to shape the campaign, with narrative-Driven helping define the experience."},"constraints":{"playerRange":"1-5 players","sessionRange":"60-120 minutes","setupMinutes":null,"characterCreationMinutes":null,"prepLevel":"None","priceModel":null},"fit":{"beginnerFriendly":0,"newGmFriendly":5,"oneShotFriendly":1,"campaignFriendly":0,"soloFriendly":0,"improvBurden":null,"structureLevel":null,"contentIntensity":null},"scores":[{"key":"complexity","label":"Complexity","value":3},{"key":"new_gm","label":"New GM Fit","value":5},{"key":"roleplay","label":"Roleplay Focus","value":5},{"key":"combat","label":"Combat Focus","value":2},{"key":"tactical","label":"Tactical Depth","value":1},{"key":"campaign","label":"Campaign Depth","value":2}],"availability":{"quickstartAvailable":null,"pdfAvailable":null,"physicalBookAvailable":null,"vttReady":null},"recommendations":{"bestFor":["Tables that want history or historical texture to shape the campaign","Tables that want fiction-first play and scene-level consequences","Players who want character, atmosphere, or story to matter more than pure tactics"],"avoidIf":["You want combat and action to drive most of the session","You want a giant long-form campaign engine","You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table"]},"facets":{"genres":["Historical","Horror"],"systems":[],"mechanics":["Narrative-Driven","GM-less / Cooperative","Rules Lite","Survival"],"themes":[],"decisionTags":["Low Prep","One-Shot Friendly"]},"links":{"websiteUrl":"https://bullypulpitgames.com/products/desperation","reviewsUrl":"https://bullypulpitgames.itch.io/desperation?ac=YUqaLN4pVvG"}}